Does Scrivener Have Correct Industry Novel Templates

When yous're writing a book, you might come to this point where exasperation turns to desperation and you think: "There has to be a better style. There has to be a better piece of volume writing software than Microsoft Word."

Microsoft Word is the default word processor, but that doesn't mean information technology'due south the only option. And especially when you're writing something as complicated equally volume, you might want a piece of writing software geared specifically toward writing a book.

In this post, we're going to await closely at two of the best pieces of volume writing software: Microsoft Give-and-take and Scrivener, and talk about where each word processor shines and where each falls short.

Plus, check out our Top 10 Pieces of Software for Writers for more than tools to assistance you write meliorate and faster.

How Scrivener Saved Me 250 Hours Writing a Book

In 2010, I was writing what would become my first volume when I got to a indicate where Give-and-take became impossible. I was in the middle of the second draft, and I kept have to reorganize sections to meet what would make the book menses best. This was very annoying in Give-and-take.

I had to curlicue, whorl, scroll, highlight the department, click "cutting," roll, scroll, scroll to the place I wanted to put it, paste, and and then re-read the department to see if I liked it there.

Ofttimes as not, I would determine the section I just moved fit better where it commencement was, and I would accept to go movement information technology back. Inevitably, I would forget to copy an important line of text that belonged with the section I was moving and the whole thing wouldn't make any sense. It was so frustrating.

Information technology wasn't until my second book that I discovered Scrivener. It was completely different, and at that place was definitely a learning curve. Once I got the hang of information technology, though, I establish that I loved how information technology was geared specifically toward writing books. And its effectiveness showed in my productivity.

My first book, written solely with Microsoft Give-and-take, took me 550 hours to write. The second book, written with Scrivener, took me only 200 hours.

Of grade, some of this was because information technology was my 2nd volume and I had refined my process. Simply I believe Scrivener saved me hundreds of hours of fourth dimension, not to mention frustration.

I've finished six books on scrivener, not to mention one-half-a-dozen short stories, and I every solar day I acquire new means to use it, depending on the needs of my project.

But permit's pause downwards Microsoft Word and Scrivener'southward features so we can see what each is best at.

Scrivener vs. Word: Which Is Better Book Writing Software?

Both Scrivener and Microsoft Word are effective word processors, but each thrives when used for specific tasks. Let'due south compare the two, specifically as book writing software:

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is available in both PC versions ($115) and Mac versions ($124).

Pros:

Ubiquity. Microsoft Give-and-take is the industry standard, and the default word processor for millions of people. And that is a huge advantage for writing a book. Since well-nigh everyone has Microsoft Word and knows how to utilise information technology, information technology makes information technology very easy to collaborate using it. For example, well-nigh editors edit books in Word and therefore require their clients to submit manuscripts in Word formats (.doc).

Bully for editing. Discussion'due south runway changes characteristic is great for collaborating with an editor. It allows you to hands see what changes they've made, accept or reject those changes, or completely revert back to the original. Very handy for polishing up your final draft. In fact, for most of my books, I moved them from Scrivener to Word for the editing procedure to take advantage of this feature. (Still, since Google Docs added "Suggestion mode," which is the equivalent to track changes, I've started using it almost exclusively in replacement of Word for the editing procedure.)

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Track Changes

Neat formatting. Word is a "what you see is what you get" word processor (WYSIWYG or Wizy-wig), and as such, it'south really effective. The mode your book looks on the screen as you blazon it is the same way it will wait on the page when yous print: if you write the entire volume in 18 pt Papyrus font, it'll stay that manner when you transport it to an editor or print out a hard copy (and they will be sad because 18 pt Papyrus is a terrible idea). That makes it easy to see what your formatting will expect like from the start and make changes along the way.

Simple. For nearly people, Microsoft Word was ane of the offset programs they ever used on a computer. It's simple, convenient, and it works, even for writing a book!

Cons:

Single document. The major drawback of Word when y'all're writing a book is that information technology limits you to a single, linear document. This means yous're kind of forced to work linearly through your draft. If you go an idea for chapter five, but y'all're working on chapter two, it's not easy to merely put that idea in the chapter five folder; you have to put it below in random infinite. It also means that if you want to make affiliate two into chapter three, you have to re-create and and then literally delete that chapter earlier pasting information technology below the new chapter two. This makes for some bad-mannered maneuvering.

Not designed for books. Because Word wasn't originally designed for documents every bit large equally books, every bit your book grows, it becomes more and more unwieldy.

Gets wearisome later you get over sure sizes. For me, this was 30,000 words. Later on I reached 30,000 words, every time I opened upwardly my book, it took several minutes to load. Even afterward information technology opened, I would take to wait until it loaded the pages below. This is really frustrating when yous're antsy to get writing.

Yous can use information technology for publishing, but it'southward non piece of cake. I've personally used Give-and-take to publish several books on Kindle, Nook, and other online retailers. Information technology'due south non piece of cake or elegant. You lot have to format every header and chapter championship with "Heading 1" and "Heading 2," remove all indents, save the document in HTML, upload to Kindle, check the proof for formatting errors (which there inevitably are), so start over. You almost always have to utilize a plan called Sigil, an epub editor, to clean up the file before you publish it. It'south possible, merely definitely a hassle. (Note: Now, I use Vellum for this. Information technology'due south astonishing, and nosotros'll be reviewing it shortly.)

Nonetheless, if y'all determine you have to use Give-and-take to publish your book, you tin grab Amazon's own guide on the process here. It'south free, besides, which is overnice.

Overall:

Fine but annoying. You can employ Word to write books. But the problem is that every bit your book grows it becomes more than and more difficult to piece of work with.

Scrivener

Y'all can find Scrivener for Mac here ($45) and Windows here ($40).

Pros:

Made specifically for writing books. While Microsoft Word gets more and more than hard to employ the bigger your document gets, Scrivener gets more and more useful every bit your document grows. That's mainly because of its "folder feature," which is a unproblematic just game-irresolute advance for discussion processors. The Binder allows yous to split your chapters and individual scenes into folders and subdocuments, which yous tin can and so drag and drop wherever you experience like they fit best. It's SO freeing! Trust me, you're going to honey it.

Here'due south a screenshot of my latest book in Scrivener. Notice the Binder on the left with all my capacity, sections, and fifty-fifty supporting documents.

Features specifically designed for each step of the volume writing process. If the Binder fashion was the only divergence, then Scrivener would instantly be so much improve than Word for writing books. But fortunately, there are dozens of features that make Scrivener crawly for book writing. Hither are only a few:

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Corkboard Mode

Corkboard way. Organize your scenes/sections graphically. Drag them around as if it were alphabetize cards on real corkboard. (You can fifty-fifty print them out and maneuver them.)
Composition mode. Want distraction costless writing fourth dimension? Limerick mode goes full screen, taking away any visual distractions. Used in combination with Freedom, you lot'll have no choice but to write.
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Project Targets

Project targets. Scrivener honestly has more features than I need, but ane that I use constantly is Project Targets, which allows you to set a deadline and projected word count for your typhoon and then run into how many words yous take to write each day to meet that deadline. You can likewise set information technology upwards so y'all just have a daily word count goal, ane,000 words a solar day for instance, and information technology will concord you accountable to that (as much as writing softwaretinconcur you accountable that is).

Write wherever you are with the Scrivener App. Scrivener recently released its iOS app (you tin can find it hither), which you tin can sync with your desktop and so write and edit your volume wherever you are.

Fair publishing support. One of Scrivener'south selling points is that you tin can export directly to Kindle and ePub file types, making itmucheasier to publish your book than Word. (Again, Vellum is even easier and makes much more beautiful eBooks. Nosotros'll be reviewing it soon!)

Cons:

Formatting is frustrating. Formatting is clunky on Scrivener. And when you format within the document, that doesn't mean that your formatting choices volition all go to print. For example, while Word is a "what you see is what you go" (WYSIWYG) give-and-take processor, Scrivener has chosen to apply formatting mainly when you compile the document for print or export. You might write your book in white 18 pt Papyrus on a blue background, but when you ready it to impress, information technology will format the volume according to unlike formatting settings you've selected, like black 12 pt Times New Roman. That means you lot can customize your writing space to write however y'all'd similar without worrying about messing upwards how your book volition look (or making your editor lamentable with 18 pt Papyrus). Only when it comes to the nitty-gritties of formatting, it's kind of annoying.

Collaborating isn't like shooting fish in a barrel. When you're working with an editor, or even a co-author, Scrivener gets difficult. Role of this is considering Scrivener is just non as ubiquitous every bit Word, and so if your editor doesn't accept information technology, you're forced to switch to Word, the industry standard. Also, like Give-and-take, Scrivener has some rail changes and commenting features so that you can collaborate with an editor, simply they're not equally easy to use or convenient as Word'southward. Personally, after I finish my second draft and start working with editors, I prefer Google Docs.

Overall:

Scrivener is the premier book writing software. And it only keeps getting better. If you're writing a volume, save yourself time by getting scrivener.

In fact, we believe in Scrivener so much, we published a book about how artistic writers can write more than, faster using it. It'due south calledScrivener Superpowers. If you lot're using Scrivener or want to salvage yourself time equally yous learn how to use it for your artistic writing, y'all tin can become Scrivener Superpowers here.

Which book writing software do you use? Allow united states of america know in the comments!

Practice

The right book writing software is helpful, but what actually matters is that y'all're writing. Then today, allow's get writing.

Commencement, open up your favorite book writing software. If you don't have a favorite, get Scrivener (here for Mac / here for Windows).
Then, write 100 words. Y'all can go on a work in progress or free write (bonus points if you lot use project targets on Scrivener to keep track of your words).
When you meet your target word count, copy and paste your writing into the comments section beneath and share information technology for feedback.
After you lot share, give feedback on a few practices from other writers.

Happy writing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an writer and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the writer of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris, a real life adventure story set in French republic. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want all-time-seller coaching? Book Joe here.